Kinectrics cable test facilities have been used to assess safety system cable performance for simulated CANDU accident conditions. We have assisted our clients in ensuring cables will maintain required electrical performance for the life of the plant, or identified materials requiring replacement.

Control, instrumentation, and power cables used in a major utility’s older nuclear stations were not qualified at the time of construction. No records existed about the cable types used in various applications. Kinectrics was contracted to develop procedures to identify the cable types used in the field and to determine whether the cables would function satisfactorily during the station’s designed life.

After analyzing 350 field and in stock cable samples through various physical and chemical techniques a database was created representing the range of cable insulation types used in the nuclear power plants. The number of distinct cable types was reduced to 25. A non-destructive procedure based on NIR spectroscopy was developed to verify the cables in the field. At the same time cable qualification testing was initiated. Cable testing involved:

The outcome of the test program allowed our client to leave the majority of its cables in place, and qualify for license renewal.

For more information,  contact:

John D’Angelo, 416.207.6193, john.dangelo@kinectrics.com